FrontendHaltNetworking·Intermediate·Scenario based·1 min read
Why is client data fetching a design problem separate from the API choice?
Short interview answer
REST versus GraphQL versus RPC decides the request and response shape, but caching, deduplication, revalidation, request timing, and loading and error handling are client concerns that apply regardless. A GraphQL app with a naive fetch layer still has waterfalls and duplicate requests.
Key takeaway
Explain the underlying mental model clearly, then support it with a concrete example and its trade-offs.